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Before taking over the tea farm, the fifth generation, Roy, was a structural designer at a Technology company. One day when he came home, he saw his father and grandfather making tea and noticed that certain movements became very hard for them. He realized they are getting old. Charcoal-roasted tea is very rare in the market, and it took his family decades of research to stabilize the charcoal-roasting technique, so it would be a pity if it was not passed down.
From the Qing Dynasty to the heyday of Alibaba black tea under Japan’s rule, Shimen has a long history of tea making. However, the withdrawal of the United Nations in the 1960s, the rise of the Indian tea region and the loss of competitiveness of Taiwan's tea pricing all led to the decline of export sales, during which local tea farmers switched to charcoal-roasted Shimen Tieguanyin to create their uniqueness. Roy’s father and grandfather spent many years researching and trying charcoal-roasting techniques. It was only through trial and error that they were able to create their own charcoal-roasted Tieguanyin.
Roy hopes to pass on this important historical evolution of the Shimen tea region and its craftsmanship through the brand of Yila Tea Estate, and to continue it by using their unique charcoal-roasted technique to bring out its unique flavor, and to let more people know that there are still tea farms in the northernmost part of Taiwan making tea, giving the brand a new image and continuing this history.
This heavy roasted Tieguanyin presents the traditional taste kept by his grandfather, with a strong and full bodied flavor, as well as mild nature.